Uttar Pradesh government turned a blind eye to 40 intelligence reports

MATHURA: As the details of the "ill-conceived" operation at Mathura's Jawahar Bagh emerge, it seems the Uttar Pradesh government disregarded 40 intelligence reports indicating presence of a large number of licensed and unlicensed firearms inside the premises and did not provide adequate reinforcements sought by the district administration.

According to sources, the reports, sent to the administration in the past few months, confirmed that the activists of Swadheen Bharat Subhash Sena (SBSS) were heavily armed. Clips of short films shot from mobile phones, which showed SBSS activists undergoing combat and arms training were also shared with the officials.

Based on these reports, district magistrate Rajesh Kumar had written a letter to the principal secretary (home) on February 20 - a copy of which is with TOI - requesting for 12 additional companies of PAC, 5 companies of RAF, two companies of women RAF, 1,800 constables, 200 women constables, 15 women sub-inspectors, 150 sub-inspectors, 25 police station in-charges, 20 deputy superintendents of police, 10 additional SPs, 5 additional DMs, 10 fire tenders, 10 ambulances, 2 bomb disposal squads, 50 buses, 20 tractors, 4 JCBs, 3 cranes and 10 videographers.

Local officials claim they had never imagined that things would go out of hand to this extent. They said the additional forces sought from the government were denied on one pretext or the other.

Eventually, after the high court rejected the relief sought by the activists for continuing their 'dharna', it was decided that a police party led by SP Mukul Dwivedi would go inside the park to inform the SBSS leaders about the development, but they were greeted with stone pelting.